Wikipedia

Wilburton station (Sound Transit)

Wilburton station is an elevated Link light rail station in Bellevue, Washington, United States. It is served by the 2 Line, part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, and opened in April 2024 as part of the line's starter segment.[1] The station serves the area immediately east of Downtown Bellevue, including Lake Bellevue and the Overlake Hospital Medical Center.

 59  Wilburton
Link light rail station
Under construction in August 2022
General information
Location800 118th Avenue Northeast
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°37′05″N 122°11′02″W / 47.61806°N 122.18389°W / 47.61806; -122.18389
Operated bySound Transit
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsKing County Metro
Construction
Structure typeElevated
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedApril 27, 2024
Services
Preceding station Sound Transit Following station
Link
Bellevue Downtown
toward South Bellevue
 2 Line
Starter Line
 Spring District
toward Redmond Technology
Future service
Bellevue Downtown
toward Lynnwood City Center
 2 Line
(2025)
 Spring District
toward Downtown Redmond
Location
Map

Location

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Wilburton station is located along the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision corridor, north of NE 8th Street and east of 116th Avenue Northeast. The Overlake Hospital Medical Center campus, part of the city's "hospital district",[2] is to the northwest of the station, along Interstate 405.[3][4] The area's land use consists predominantly of low-rise commercial and office spaces, with multifamily residential on the eastern fringes.[5]

The Overlake Hospital Medical Center area is currently served by the RapidRide B Line and other King County Metro bus routes.[6]

History

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The passage of Sound Transit 2 in 2008 funded the East Link light rail project, including the construction of a station near the Overlake Hospital Medical Center campus. The station was proposed as a potential interim terminus for a truncated line between Seattle and Bellevue, in the event of a smaller package than the one that was passed by voters.[7][8] The project's preferred alternative, adopted in 2009, placed an elevated station along NE 12th Street to the east of Interstate 405, just north of the hospital campus.[9][10] In 2010, the City of Bellevue requested a tunneled alignment for the light rail line through its downtown, which shifted the station to the BNSF alignment north of NE 8th Street.[11][12]

In 2015, the station's temporary working name of "Hospital" was replaced with "Wilburton", its permanent name.[13] Construction on the station and approach structures began in 2017.[14] The station opened on April 27, 2024, as part of the first phase of the 2 Line between Bellevue and Redmond.[15][16]

Station layout

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Platform
level 		Westbound ←   2 Line toward South Bellevue (Bellevue Downtown)
Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
Eastbound →   2 Line toward Redmond Technology (Spring District) →
Street level Entrances/Exits, ticket vending machines

Wilburton station consists of a single island platform situated above street level on the north side of NE 8th Street. At street level, the station has two sets of stairs, escalators and elevators leading to the platform, as well as ticket vending machines and rider information. On the east side of the station there is a small kiss and ride facility, as well as covered bicycle parking.[17] At the north end of the station is a pedestrian pathway crossing over Sturtevant Creek (a tributary of Kelsey Creek), heading towards the future Eastside Rail Corridor trail and Overlake Hospital Medical Center.[18]

A pedestrian bridge connecting both sides of NE 8th Street was opened on June 23, 2024, as part of the Eastrail trail system. It is 500 feet (150 m) long and primarily uses prefabricated steel trusses; the bridge cost $32 million to construct and was funded by the city and county governments.[19][20] The bridge includes a 121-foot (37 m) mural with historic photographs and illustrations from the Japanese American community of the Bellevue area. The piece, named Golden Repair, references the Japanese practice of kintsugi to restore broken pieces of pottery with golden lacquer.[19]

References

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  1. ^ Belman, Brooke (August 24, 2023). "Get ready for new Link service on the Eastside next spring". The Platform. Sound Transit. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Lee, Sherwin (February 19, 2010). "Future Bellevue Growth: Where Are The Next Hotspots?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  3. ^ "Central Bellevue Construction Open House Display Boards" (PDF). Sound Transit. June 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  4. ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2010-44" (PDF). Sound Transit. April 22, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  5. ^ Growing Transit Communities Oversight Committee (October 2013). "Hospital: Future Light Rail/Bus" (PDF). The Growing Transit Communities Strategy. Puget Sound Regional Council. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  6. ^ Central Eastside All-Day Transit Service (PDF) (Map). King County Metro. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Dickie, Lance (May 16, 2008). "A pause for the cause of light rail". The Seattle Times. p. B6.
  8. ^ Lindblom, Mike (June 16, 2008). "$4 gas to fuel new light-rail vote?". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  9. ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2009-41" (PDF). Sound Transit. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  10. ^ Larin, Lindsay (October 16, 2009). "Sound Transit updates Bellevue City Council on latest light rail tunnel option". Bellevue Reporter. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  11. ^ "Segment C – Evaluation of Hospital Station Options" (PDF). Sound Transit. June 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  12. ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2010-73" (PDF). Sound Transit. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  13. ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2015-58" (PDF). Sound Transit. June 25, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  14. ^ "Project Update: East Link Extension 5/1/2017". Sound Transit. May 1, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  15. ^ Lindblom, Mike; Kroman, David (April 27, 2024). "Eastside light rail line opens as huge crowds try out the ride". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Lindblom, Mike (February 15, 2024). "Sound Transit sets a date for Bellevue-Redmond trains". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  17. ^ "Wilburton Station". Sound Transit. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  18. ^ "Downtown Bellevue Segment 60 Percent Design" (PDF). Sound Transit. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  19. ^ a b Deshais, Nicholas (June 22, 2024). "New Bellevue bridge linking trail with light rail opens Sunday". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  20. ^ "King County Parks breaks ground on a new trail bridge connecting Eastrail to Sound Transit's Wilburton Station in Bellevue" (Press release). King County Parks. May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
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